Epitaxial regrowth of (100) InP layers amorphized by ion implantation at room temperature

The formation and the annealing of InP amorphous layers obtained by implantation of Be (400 KeV), Cr, and Se (800 KeV) ions at room temperature are studied using Rutherford Backscattering, reflection high energy electron diffraction, transmission electron diffraction and microscopy, x-ray diffraction techniques. The reordering of (100) InP during anneal at temperatures up to 800 °C is seen to be mainly governed by the thickness of the amorphous layer, the maximum thickness of good reepitaxy from a single crystal being limited to about 2000 Å. Two cases must be considered. When the sample is amorphized up to the surface, a 2000-Å-thick regrowth occurs from the bulk only. When a crystalline layer remains at surface, the regrowth occurs from both substrate and surface so that the total thickness of the reepitaxied layer can reach 4000 Å. A schematic description of regrowth is proposed. The phenomena limiting the thickness of the reepitaxied layer and the consequences of the cold-hammered and polycrystalline layers resulting from an incomplete regrowth are discussed.